2016 has been quite the year, to say the least. It has been a year of abrupt change, shifts, and restructuring. There have been many tragedies in the world and I feel very lucky and blessed to have been surrounded by such strong, and inspiring individuals and safe and supportive communities. Here is a brief sampling of my 2016 -- thank you to my friends, family, collaborators, supporters, and everyone who helped me through this year. xx

A huge thank you to Filmmaker Magazine who just released a great write-up on Chicago's Newcity Film 50 list, "..a list of 50 people who comprise a composite snapshot of the Windy City’s community of media creators."

"But, for me, it all comes back to discovery, so the Film 50 is essential as it reveals for the first time folks like Emily Esperanza, pictured above. In Pride’s profile, she says she’s 'interested in soundscapes, the tension suspended between extremes, nostalgic sensibilities, themes of exile and displacement, the subtleties of eroticism, guerrilla approaches and lo-fi/discarded aesthetics.' After being 'tired of paying festival submission fees,' she took her own work on the road this past summer and, working as a curator, she is developing a series intended to push aesthetic boundaries."

Still from 'Lightning & the Rain' which premiered on BULLETT Magazine last week.

Last week, BULLETT Magazine premiered The Gold Web's music video for 'Lightning & The Rain', directed by Emily Esperanza. Justin Thomas Moran writes, "Lifted offtheir new five-track FREAKS! EP, “Lightning & the Rain” commands with a thick, big-bodied sound, much like M83 at its darkest, but laced with the bubbling energy of a Glass Candy record. The music video, directed by Nowhere Films director Emily Esperanza, provides a perfect complement, inviting us into a stylized, underground party that’s drenched in neon lights."